Virginia Tech-UNC-Greensboro Preview

Published Nov. 21, 2010 2:17 a.m. ET

foxsports

After letting its last game slip away in the second half, Virginia Tech will look to control this one from start to finish.

The task shouldn't be too difficult against struggling North Carolina-Greensboro.

The 22nd-ranked Hokies will try to bounce back Sunday when they travel to take on the Spartans.

Following a disappointing 73-57 loss to No. 3 Kansas State on Tuesday, Virginia Tech will likely come out with some extra motivation.

Malcolm Delaney, who scored an ACC-best 20.2 points per game last season, had 22 and Dorenzo Hudson added 12, but the Hokies - who led 40-38 in the second half - were unable to contain Jacob Pullen as Kansas State pulled away.

"We can't win games against teams of this caliber if we give up, I think, 12 offensive rebounds in the second half and don't get 50-50 balls, and we didn't get 50-50 balls," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "I thought they just found a way to get the loose balls. We did a bad job on that one stretch in defensive transition."

The Hokies, who return all five starters from 2009-10, will look to take better care of the basketball after committing 36 turnovers through two games. Virginia Tech (1-1) went 19-5 last season when it turned the ball over less than 15 times, but 6-4 with 15 or more.

Delaney is averaging 21.0 points thus far, but also is shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and doing much of his scoring from the free-throw line, where he is 19 for 20.

Delaney, who put up 17 in a 59-46 win over the Spartans on Nov. 17, 2009, could be in line for another big day. UNC-Greensboro is allowing 99.0 points per game - second-most in the country.

The Spartans (0-2) will face their second straight ACC opponent after falling to Florida State 97-73 last Sunday. David Williams led the way with 16 points and five rebounds, but the team struggled from the floor, connecting on 38.6 percent of its field-goal attempts.

UNC-Greensboro turned the ball over five times in the first 2:26, but hopes to be better prepared against the Hokies.

"I think when we first came out everybody was still a little nervous, but as the game went on everybody kind of shook it off a little and we started picking it up," said Brandon Evans, who leads the team with 15.5 points per game.

Evans was held to five points against the Seminoles after scoring a career-high 26 in a season-opening loss to Virginia Commonwealth on Nov. 12.

Virginia Tech is 6-0 all-time against UNC-Greensboro but has gone 15-20 on the road since 2007-08.